DID THE UNION LEAVE THE SOUTH AFTER SHERMAN WENT THROUGH ATLANTA?

Can Hamas still walk tall in Gaza's streets?: Israel's ferocious bombardment of Gaza was intended to teach its radical Islamist government a permanent lesson. But after three weeks of fighting, Hamas has not been battered into submission. And, amid the rubble, the organisation's prestige among many of the Palestinians remains intact. (Peter Beaumont and Hazem Balousha, 1/18/09, The Observer)

In the case of Said Siam and his Interior Ministry - once one of Hamas's major centres of power - the assessment is simple to make. The four-storey Interior Ministry complex was flattened by a missile strike early in the campaign. Police stations and other facilities have also been destroyed. Scores, perhaps several hundred, of his men have died. And while buildings can be rebuilt, the death of Siam is something different.

The most senior Hamas figure to be killed by Israel since the assassination of Abdel Aziz Rantisi, Hamas's political leader, in 2004, Siam was a pillar of the organisation, a hardliner close to exiled leader Khaled Meshaal in Damascus. He was credited with commanding its security apparatus, including Hamas's elite executive force.

It was Siam who was reputedly one of the most forceful movers against the rival Fatah faction in the so-called "internal fighting" between the organisations that followed Hamas's election victory in Gaza in 2006. Hamas won that battle, ousting its secular opponents from Gaza and launching the chain of events that led to Israel's assault on its power-base. Now the Hamas hardman is gone. But the organisation's prestige appears to have survived intact, and even emerged enhanced.

Wael Abd Latef, 38, a bookshop owner from the Tal el-Hawa district of Gaza City, was convinced that the long days of bombardment have had little effect on Hamas. He abandoned his house five days ago with the arrival of Israeli tanks, and on Friday returned to check his property. "It's a war against the civilians. It's not against Hamas," he said. "They think that it's against Hamas, but it's not. The situation is a disaster for Palestinian people, not Hamas. Israel started the war against Palestinians. They imposed sanctions on Palestinians. Hamas demands the world just leave the siege and break the blockade on Palestinians by opening the curtains. Hamas spent a long time helping the Palestinian people here and worked for its interests.

"Hamas has the authority and the legitimacy to rule Gaza. I don't think the war affected Hamas that much. They destroyed everything, but Hamas is still there. Hamas will show its power when the war is over." He was scathing about the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, head of Fatah, whose term in office is ending.

Across Gaza and the West Bank, the rumblings of discontent have grown as Abbas stood on the sidelines while Israeli artillery has pounded Gaza. "Abbas has no authority to lead the Palestinian people. When he was elected, we were expecting him to be the leader for all Palestinian people, but he became just a leader for Fatah and its people. I don't think he will be back here."